Waste Disposal Apparatus

ABSTRACT

A waste disposal apparatus includes a lid lock mechanism for locking a lid and an upper part of a waste accommodating main body together in a coupled state, and a main body lock mechanism for locking the upper part and a lower part of the waste accommodating main body together in a coupled state. The waste disposal apparatus further includes a lid unlock mechanism in which a direction of an operation of unlocking the lid lock mechanism is different from that of an operation of opening the lid, and a main body unlock mechanism in which a direction of an operation of unlocking the main body lock mechanism is different from that of an operation of opening the upper part of the waste accommodating main body.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to waste disposal apparatuses fordisposing of waste materials such as soiled diapers.

2. Description of the Background Art

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-502784 of unexamined applicationsdiscloses a technique relating to waste disposal apparatuses fordisposing of waste materials such as soiled diapers.

A waste disposal apparatus described in Japanese Patent Publication No.2002-502784 of unexamined applications includes a cylindrical filmhaving its one end closed, and a waste accommodating main body forreceiving a waste material placed in the film, together with the film.The waste accommodating main body includes a lower part that is a hollowcontainer having an opening at its upper end, a tubular upper part thatis pivotally attached to the lower part by a hinge, a lid that ispivotally attached to the upper end of the upper part by a hinge so asto be able to open and close, and clamps for releasably locking theupper part and the lower part together, and for releasably locking thelid and the upper part together. The lid includes a rotatable cutterblade for cutting the film.

When placing a waste material into this waste disposal apparatus, theclamp for the lid is released to open the lid, and the waste material isplaced in the film. When emptying the waste accommodating main body, thecutter blade is rotated to cut the film, the clamp is released to pivotopen the upper part of the waste accommodating main body, and then wastematerials stored in the waste accommodating main body are thrown out.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

However, in such a conventional waste disposal apparatus as described inJapanese Patent Publication No. 2002-502784 of unexamined applications,the clamp for locking the upper part and the lower part of the wasteaccommodating main body together has a simple structure, and thusinfants may accidentally release the clamp and open the upper part ofthe waste accommodating main body. The clamp for locking the lid and theupper part of the waste accommodating main body also has a simplestructure, and infants may accidentally open the lid.

As described above, the conventional waste disposal apparatus has thecutter blade for cutting the film. Thus, infants can be injured if theyaccidentally open the upper part of the waste accommodating main body orthe lid and put their hands into the waste accommodating main body.

The present invention was developed to solve the above problems, and itis an object of the present invention to provide a waste disposalapparatus for disposing of waste materials such as soiled diapers, whichincludes a lock mechanism that is prevented from being accidentallyunlocked by infants and is capable of being easily locked and unlockedwith one hand.

A waste disposal apparatus according to the present invention includes:a waste accommodating main body having an upper part and a lower partwhich are separably connected together, and having an opening at itsupper end; and a lid connected to the waste accommodating main body soas to be able to open and close the opening of the waste accommodatingmain body; and a sealing mechanism, and a film accommodating portionthat accommodates a film for storing a waste material, which areattached to the upper part of the waste accommodating main body; and alid lock mechanism for locking the lid and the upper part of the wasteaccommodating main body together in a coupled state; and a main bodylock mechanism for locking the upper part and the lower part of thewaste accommodating main body together in a coupled state; and a lidunlock mechanism in which a direction of an operation of unlocking thelid lock mechanism is different from that of an operation of opening thelid; and a main body unlock mechanism in which a direction of anoperation of unlocking the main body lock mechanism is different fromthat of an operation of opening the upper part of the wasteaccommodating main body.

According to the present invention, in order to open the lid or theupper part of the waste accommodating main body, the user needs tooperate the lid unlock mechanism or the main body unlock mechanism in aspecific direction to unlock the lid lock mechanism or the main bodylock mechanism, and also needs to open the lid or the upper part of thewaste accommodating main body in a specific direction different fromthat direction. This makes it very difficult for infants, who haveneither an intent to open the lid or the upper part of the wasteaccommodating main body nor knowledge of how to open it, to open the lidor the upper part of the waste accommodating main body. This can preventinfants from accidentally opening the lid or the upper part of the wasteaccommodating main body.

As a preferred embodiment, each of the lid unlock mechanism and the mainbody unlock mechanism may include an unlock operation portion and anopening operation portion within reach of fingers of operator's onehand.

According to the present invention, the unlock operation and the openingoperation of the lid or the upper part of the waste accommodating mainbody can be easily performed with one hand.

As a preferred embodiment, the unlock operation portion may be a pushbutton that is pressed by a finger.

According to the present invention, since the unlock operation portionis a push button, the user can easily figure out how to operate theunlock operation portion, and can easily operate the unlock operationportion.

As a preferred embodiment, the opening operation portion may be a recessor a protrusion which is held by a finger.

The lid may be pivotally connected at its one end to the upper part ofthe waste accommodating main body by a hinge, and the lid lock mechanismand the lid unlock mechanism may be provided at the other end of thelid, which is located on a side opposite to the hinge.

The upper part of the waste accommodating main body may be pivotallyconnected at its one end to the lower part of the waste accommodatingmain body by a hinge, and the main body lock mechanism and the main bodyunlock mechanism may be provided at the other end of the upper part ofthe waste accommodating main body, which is located on a side oppositeto the hinge.

According to the present invention, the lid or the upper part of thewaste accommodating main body can be opened by unlocking the lid lockmechanism or the main body lock mechanism and pivoting the lid or theupper part of the waste accommodating main body about the hinge as afulcrum. Moreover, the recess or the protrusion is provided so as to beheld by a finger when performing the pivoting operation. Thus, the wastedisposal apparatus of the present invention is advantageous in that thepivoting operation can be easily performed.

As a preferred embodiment, the hinge that connects the upper part andthe lower part of the waste accommodating main body may be providedsubstantially in a middle of a vertical height of the waste disposalapparatus.

According to the present invention, when unlocking the main body lockmechanism to pivot open the upper part of the waste accommodating mainbody, the back face having the hinge in the upper part of the wasteaccommodating main body contacts the back face having the hinge in thelower part of the waste accommodating main body, whereby the pivotingmovement is stopped, and at the same time, the upper end of the lidcontacts the ground or the floor.

This prevents the waste disposal apparatus from falling down in thepivoting direction by a force caused by pivoting of the upper part ofthe waste accommodating main body, and also stabilizes the center ofgravity of the waste disposal apparatus when the upper part of the wasteaccommodating main body is open.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a waste disposal apparatusaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side cross section of the waste disposal apparatus of theembodiment.

FIG. 3 is a side cross section of the waste disposal apparatus of theembodiment.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side cross section of a sealing mechanism of theembodiment in the state where a sealing door is closed.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side cross section of the sealing mechanism of theembodiment in the state where the sealing door is open.

FIG. 6A is an enlarged side cross section showing nipping shapes of anL-shaped sealing door and an inverted L-shaped sealing door receivingportion of the embodiment when the L-shaped sealing door is open, andFIG. 6B is an enlarged side cross section showing the nipping shapes ofthe L-shaped sealing door and the inverted L-shaped sealing doorreceiving portion of the embodiment when the L-shaped sealing door isclosed.

FIG. 7A is an enlarged side cross section showing nipping shapes of aconvex sealing door and a concave sealing door receiving portion of anembodiment of the present invention when the convex sealing door isopen, and FIG. 7B is an enlarged side cross section showing the nippingshapes of the convex sealing door and the concave sealing door receivingportion of the embodiment when the convex sealing door is closed.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a film accommodating portionof the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is an overall perspective view of a waste disposal apparatusaccording to the embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the waste disposal apparatus of theembodiment as viewed obliquely from behind.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged side cross section of a main body lock mechanismand a lid lock mechanism according to the embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating an operation of unlocking themain body lock mechanism according to the embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a side cross section showing a state where an upper part of awaste accommodating main body of the embodiment is pivoted.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating an operation of unlocking thelid lock mechanism according to the embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail belowwith reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is an overallperspective view of a waste disposal apparatus according to anembodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 2-3 are side cross sectionsof the waste disposal apparatus of the embodiment. FIG. 2 shows a statewhere a sealing door is closed, and FIG. 3 shows a state where thesealing door is open.

A waste disposal apparatus 11 includes: a waste inlet 16 for inserting awaste material D such as a soiled diaper therethrough; a cylindricalfilm 15 extending downward from the waste inlet 16 and having its lowerend closed by a knot 26; a waste accommodating main body 13 forreceiving the waste material D inserted through the waste inlet 16,together with the film 15; and a lid 23 that covers the waste inlet 16from above.

The long film 15 is attached to the waste inlet 16. The film 15 extendsdownward so as to cover the opening of the waste inlet 16.

The waste accommodating main body 13 is a hollow container for storingwaste materials D that are placed in the film 15, and is divided into alower part 17 and an upper part 19. The lower part 17 of the wasteaccommodating main body 13 has a bottom 17 b at its lower end, and hasan opening at its upper end. The upper part 19 of the wasteaccommodating main body 13 covers, at its lower end, the opening at theupper end of the lower part 17, and has the waste inlet 16 at its upperend.

An open/close sealing mechanism 28 is provided inside the upper part 19of the waste accommodating main body 13. The sealing mechanism 28 nipsthe film 15 at a position between the waste inlet 16 and the storedwaste material D to seal the stored waste material D. The sealingmechanism 28 has a sealing door 33 and a sealing door receiving portion35.

The sealing mechanism 28 will be described later.

When disposing of a waste material D, the user first opens the lid 23 toplace the waste material D into the film 15 from the waste inlet 16.Then, the user inserts his/her hand into the waste inlet 16, and pushesthe film 15 down together with the waste material D to open the sealingdoor 33. The waste material D thus pushed down, together with the film15, passes between the opened sealing door 33 and the sealing doorreceiving portion 35. The waste material D then drops downward along thefilm 15, and is stored in the waste accommodating main body 13. As soonas the user drops the waste material D to a position below the sealingdoor 33 and the sealing door receiving portion 35, and removes his/herhand from the waste inlet 16, the sealing door 33 closes to nip the film15. Since a new length of the film 15 is pulled out from the waste inlet16, the waste inlet 16 is always supplied with a new length of the film15.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross section of the sealing mechanism 28 of FIG.2 when the sealing door 33 is closed. FIG. 5 is an enlarged crosssection of the sealing mechanism 28 of FIG. 3 when the sealing door 33is open.

The waste disposal apparatus 11 contains the open/close sealingmechanism 28 that nips the film 15 at a position between the waste inlet16 and the waste material D placed in the waste accommodating main body13, and seals the waste material D.

The sealing mechanism 28 has the sealing door 33 and the sealing doorreceiving portion 35. Upon closing of the sealing door 33, the sealingdoor 33 engages with the sealing door receiving portion 35 to nip thefilm 15 therebetween.

A nipping portion of the sealing door 33 has a contact surface 33 c thatcontacts the sealing door receiving portion 35 when the sealing door 33engages with the sealing door receiving portion 35. A nipping portion ofthe sealing door receiving portion 35 has a contact surface 35 c thatcontacts the sealing door 33 when the sealing door 33 engages with thesealing door receiving portion 35. The contact surfaces 33 c, 35 c areshaped so as to mesh and engage with each other in the state where thesealing door 33 is closed.

The sealing door receiving portion 35 is attached and fixed inside theupper part 19 of the waste accommodating main body 13 so that thesealing door 33 covers and closes the waste inlet 16 from beneath in thestate where the sealing door 33 is closed.

A guide rail 37 for guiding the sealing door 33 in opening and closingdirections is attached and fixed to the inner wall of the upper part 19of the waste accommodating main body 13. The guide rail 37 is attachedand fixed at a position below the sealing door receiving portion 35, andthe sealing door 33 slides along the guide rail 37.

The sealing door 33 is biased toward the sealing door receiving portion35, and in a normal state, the sealing door 33 is closed in an engagedstate with the sealing door receiving portion 35. In the normal state,as shown in FIG. 2, the film 15 is nipped by the sealing door 33 and thesealing door receiving portion 35.

If the user pushes the sealing door 33 down, the sealing door 33 slidesin the opening direction, namely away from the sealing door receivingportion 35. As shown in FIG. 3, when the sealing door 33 is opened, thenipped film 15 is released to allow the waste material D to be insertedinto the waste accommodating main body 13.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4-5, the side crosssectional shape of the contact surfaces 33 c, 35 c, which is formed whenthe sealing door 33 is closed and engages with the sealing doorreceiving portion 35, is a combination of an L shape formed in thesealing door 33 and an inverted L shape formed in the sealing doorreceiving portion 35.

FIG. 6A is an enlarged side cross section schematically showing nippingshapes of the L-shaped sealing door 33 and the inverted L-shaped sealingdoor receiving portion 35 of the present embodiment when the L-shapedsealing door 33 is open. FIG. 6B is an enlarged side cross sectionschematically showing the nipping shapes of the L-shaped sealing door 33and the inverted L-shaped sealing door receiving portion 35 of thepresent embodiment when the L-shaped sealing door 33 is closed.

As shown in FIGS. 6A-6B, the contact surface 33 c of the sealing door 33has flat surfaces 33 c ₁, 33 c ₂, 33 c ₃. The flat surface 33 c ₁crosses the upper surface of the sealing door 33 to form a right angledL-shaped corner. The flat surface 33 c ₂ crosses the flat surface 33 c ₁to form a right angled L-shaped corner. The flat surface 33 c ₃ crossesthe flat surface 33 c ₂ and the lower surface of the sealing door 33 toform a right angled L-shaped corner.

The contact surface 35 c of the sealing door receiving portion 35 hasflat surfaces 35 c ₁, 35 c ₂, 35 c ₃. The flat surface 35 c ₁ contactsthe flat surface 33 c ₁ and is parallel to the flat surface 33 c ₁. Theflat surface 35 c ₂ contacts the flat surface 33 c ₂, and forms a rightangled L-shaped corner with the flat surface 35 c ₁. The flat surface 35c ₃ contacts the flat surface 33 c ₃, and forms a right angled L-shapedcorner with the flat surface 35 c ₂.

When the sealing door 33 slides in the direction shown by arrow in FIG.6A from the open state of FIG. 6A to the closed state of FIG. 6B to nipthe film 15, the film 15 is bent at right angles at two L-shaped cornersα₁, α₂. That is, an imaginary straight line, which connects an upper endβ and a lower end γ of the nipped portion of the film 15 shown in FIG.6B, is bent substantially horizontally between the L-shaped corners α₁,α₂.

The waste material D placed in the lower end of the film 15 is pulleddownward by its own weight due to the gravity. That is, the film 15 iscontinuously subjected to a downward tension by the waste material D asshown by white arrow in FIG. 6B.

If the film 15 being subjected to such a tension is nipped as shown inFIG. 6B, and is bent at right angles at the two L-shaped corners α₁, α₂,the film 15 is subjected to a higher tension at these L-shaped cornersα₁, α₂. Thus, a remaining airflow path, which causes passing of odors inthe related art described above, is closed at right angles, whereby odorsealing capability can be significantly increased.

Moreover, the film 15 need not be twisted upon every disposal of a wastematerial D, which can avoid the disadvantage that the maximum amount ofwaste that can be accommodated in the waste disposal apparatus 11 isreduced by the twists of the film 15.

The L shape and the inverted L shape can be easily formed when massproducing the sealing door 33 and the sealing door receiving portion 35by a die molding method. Thus, the waste disposal apparatus 11 of thepresent embodiment is advantageous in terms of mass production of theproducts.

FIGS. 7A-7B show another embodiment of the sealing door 33 and thesealing door receiving portion 35. FIG. 7A is an enlarged side crosssection showing nipping shapes of a convex sealing door 33 and a concavesealing door receiving portion 35 of the present embodiment when theconvex sealing door 33 is open. FIG. 7B is an enlarged side crosssection showing the nipping shapes of the convex sealing door 33 and theconcave sealing door receiving portion 35 of the present embodiment whenthe convex sealing door 33 is closed.

In the present embodiment, the side cross sectional shape of the nippingportions of the sealing door 33 and the sealing door receiving portion35 is a combination of a convex shape formed in the sealing door 33, anda concave shape formed in the sealing door receiving portion 35 so as toreceive the convex shape.

More specifically, a contact surface 33 c of the sealing door 33 has aridge 133 having a convex cross section, and a contact surface 35 c ofthe sealing door receiving portion 35 has a ridge groove 135 having aconcave cross section. The ridge 133 protrudes in a direction parallelto the sliding direction of the sealing door 33.

Thus, when the sealing door 33 slides in the closing direction to engagewith the sealing door receiving portion 35, the convex shape of thesealing door 33 engages with the concave shape of the sealing doorreceiving portion 35 without hindering the sliding movement.

As shown in FIGS. 7A-7B, the contact surface 33 c of the sealing door 33is formed by surfaces 33 c ₁ to 33 c ₅, and the contact surface 35 c ofthe sealing door receiving portion 35 is formed by surfaces 35 c ₁ to 35c ₅. Of these surfaces 33 c ₂ to 33 c ₅, 35 c ₁ to 35 c ₅, the surfaces33 c ₂, 33 c ₄ and the surfaces 35 c ₂, 35 c ₄ are surfaces that extendsubstantially perpendicularly to an imaginary straight line connectingan upper end β and a lower end γ of the nipped portion of the film 15shown in FIG. 7B.

Thus, when the sealing door 33 slides in the direction shown by arrow inFIG. 7A from the open state of FIG. 7A to the closed state of FIG. 7B tonip the film 15, the film 15 is bent at right angles at four L-shapedcorners α₁ to α₄. That is, the film 15 is bent substantiallyhorizontally between the L-shaped corners α₁, α₂, and between theL-shaped corners α₃, α₄.

As described above with reference to FIGS. 6A-6B, the film 15 is pulledin the direction shown by white arrow at the bent portions α₁, α₂, α₃,α₄ by the weight of the waste material D. Thus, the film 15 is subjectedto a high tension at the four L-shaped corners α₁, α₂, α₃, α₄, and aremaining air flow path formed inside of the film 15 is closed at rightangles, whereby odors can be sealed more reliably.

Moreover, the film 15 need not be twisted upon every disposal of a wastematerial D, which can avoid the disadvantage that the maximum amount ofwaste that can be accommodated in the waste disposal apparatus 11 isreduced by the twists of the film 15.

Furthermore, the concave and convex shapes can be easily formed whenmass producing the sealing door 33 and the sealing door receivingportion 35 by a die molding method. Thus, the waste disposal apparatus11 of the present embodiment is advantageous in terms of mass productionof the products.

The waste disposal apparatus 11 further includes a spring 39 forcontinuously biasing the sealing door 33 toward the sealing doorreceiving portion 35. The larger the biasing force of the spring 39 is,the more the force for nipping the film 15 can be increased, whereby theodor sealing capability can further be increased.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a film accommodating portion14. The waste disposal apparatus 11 includes the film accommodatingportion 14, which forms the waste inlet 16 and also accommodates thefilm 15. The film accommodating portion 14 is detachably attached to afilm attachment portion 12 provided in an upper region of the upper part19 of the waste accommodating main body 13, and forms the outline of thewaste inlet 16. The film accommodating portion 14 has a cylindricaltubular core 27 extending downward from the waste inlet 16, a tubularcore flange 27 f provided at the lower end of the tubular core 27, and afilm holding flange 29 that is fitted and fixed to the upper end of thetubular core 27.

The film 15 is accordion folded in the axial direction of the tubularcore 27, and is coaxially inserted on the outer diameter side of thetubular core 27. The film holding flange 29 is fitted and connected tothe tubular core 27 so as to prevent the film 15 from coming off fromthe tubular core 27.

That is, by the film holding flange 29 located at the upper end of thetubular core 27, and the tubular core flange 27 f located at the lowerend of the tubular core 27, the film 15 is compressed in the accordionfolded state and accommodated in the space between the upper and lowerends in the axial direction of the tubular core 27.

The film 15 is a consumable part of the film accommodating portion 14.If the film 15 accommodated in the film accommodating portion 14 runsout, the user replaces the used film accommodating portion 14 in thefilm attachment portion 12 with a refill film accommodating portion 14.

Preferably, the film accommodating portion 14 may be configured so thatonly the film 15 is replaced with a refill film when the film 15accommodated in the film accommodating portion 14 runs out.

In the operation of placing the refill film accommodating portion 14 inthe film attachment portion 12, the user of the waste disposal apparatus11 first pulls out an end of the film 15, which is accommodated in thecompressed state on the tubular core 27, upward beyond the outerperipheral edge of the film holding flange 29 while keeping the lid 23open. Then, the user ties a knot 26 at this end of the film 15 to closethe film 15. The user pushes the knot 26 down through the tubular core27 to the bottom 17 b while pulling the film 15 out of the filmaccommodating portion 14.

By disposal of waste materials such as soiled diapers into the film 15,the waste materials are accumulated in the film 15, and the film 15accordion folded on the outer diameter side of the tubular core 27 ispulled out in the downward direction upon each disposal. Thus, the usercan successively dispose of waste materials into the waste accumulatingmain body 13.

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, in the waste disposal apparatus 11 of the presentembodiment, the film accommodating portion 14 is supported by the upperpart 19 of the waste accommodating main body 13 so that the axialdirection of the tubular core 27, namely the opening direction of thewaste inlet 16, crosses a vertical line at a predetermined angle. Thus,the waste inlet 16 is provided in a tilted state.

Note that although not shown in the figures, the film accommodatingportion 14 may be supported by the upper part 19 of the wasteaccommodating main body 13 so that the opening direction of the wasteinlet 16 is horizontal. In this case, the axis O of the tubular core 27extends horizontally. In this configuration as well, a tension can beapplied to the nipped portion of the film.

As shown in FIGS. 4-5, the sealing door 33 has a substantially flatupper surface 34. The upper surface 34 will be described in detaillater. In the waste disposal apparatus 11 of the present embodiment, thesealing door 33 is supported by the upper part 19 of the wasteaccommodating main body 13 so that the upper surface 34 of the sealingdoor 33 is tilted at a predetermined angle corresponding to the tiltedaxial direction of the tubular core 27 and crossing a horizontal plane.The sealing door 33 advances and withdraws at the predetermined angle toand from the sealing door receiving portion 35. An advancing/withdrawingdirection S of the sealing door 33 is tilted at an angle different fromthat of the axial direction of the tubular core 27.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the following expression (1) issatisfied, where θ₁₆ represents a tilt angle of the waste inlet 16 (thetubular core 27) with respect to a vertical line, and θ₃₃ represents atilt angle of the advancing/withdrawing direction S of the sealing door33 with respect to a vertical line.

0°<θ₁₆<θ₃₃  (1)

According to the present embodiment, the tilt angle θ₃₃ of theadvancing/withdrawing direction S of the sealing door 33 is larger thanthe tilt angle θ₁₆ of the waste inlet 16. Thus, as the sealing door 33is withdrawn in the opening direction, the sealing door 33 can move awayfrom the axis O of the tubular core 27. When opened, the sealing door 33can be sufficiently separated from the film 15. Thus, the film 15 isopened wide when the sealing door 33 is opened, which enables the userto easily insert a waste material D into the waste accommodating mainbody 13.

Note that although not shown in the figures, the sealing door 33 may besupported by the upper part 19 of the waste accommodating main body 13so that the upper surface 34 of the sealing door 33 extendsperpendicularly to the horizontal direction (θ₃₃=90°). In this case, thesealing door 33 advances and withdraws horizontally. In thisconfiguration as well, the sealing door 33 can be effectively separatedfrom the film 15 when opened.

Mothers typically lay their children down on the floor to changediapers. Namely, mothers typically sit on the floor while changingdiapers. According to the present embodiment, mothers can easily insertsoiled diapers (waste materials) through the waste inlet 16 and open thesealing door 33 to place the soiled diapers into the waste accommodatingmain body 13 without standing up after changing diapers in a sittingposture.

According to the present embodiment, the film accommodating portion 14is supported by the upper part 19 of the waste accommodating main body13 so that the axial direction of the tubular core 27 crosses thevertical line at the predetermined angle. Moreover, the sealing doorreceiving portion 35 is positioned so that the nipping portions, whichare formed by engagement between the sealing door 33 and the sealingdoor receiving portion 35 located below the film accommodating portion14, are provided in a lower region of the tilt of the lower surface ofthe tubular core flange 27 f.

Thus, the upper surface 34 of the sealing door 33 is substantially flat,but to be exact, a front part 34 f of the upper surface 34 of thesealing door 33 is substantially flat, and a rear part 34 r of the uppersurface 34 of the sealing door 33 is gently curved so as to be tiltedwith respect to the front part 34 f.

Referring to FIG. 4, the film accommodating portion 14 is supported in atilted state by the upper part 19 of the waste accommodating main body13 so that the front side of the film accommodating portion 14 islocated lower than the rear side thereof. Moreover, the sealing door 33cooperates with the sealing door receiving portion 35 on the front sideof the sealing door 33, namely on the lower side of the tilt of thesealing door 33, to nip the film 15. In other words, when the sealingdoor 33 is in a closed state, the contact surfaces 33 c, 35 c, eachhaving an L-shaped cross section, are present between the filmaccommodating portion 14 and the front part 34 f of the upper surface 34of the sealing door 33, but not between the film accommodating portion14 and the rear part 34 r of the upper surface 34 of the sealing door33.

Thus, when the sealing door 33 is in a closed state, the front part 34 fof the upper surface 34, which is adjacent to the nipping surface 33 c,is located below and away from the film accommodating portion 14.

On the other hand, no shape for nipping the film 15 is provided on therear side of the sealing door 33. Thus, when the sealing door 33 is in aclosed state, the rear part 34 r of the upper surface 34 is located nearthe lower end of the film accommodating portion 14. In this manner, theupper surface 34 of the sealing door 33 is formed by two differentsurfaces (the flat front part 34 f and the tilted rear part 34 r) inorder to contact the sealing door receiving portion 35 to close thewaste inlet 16 from beneath.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the upper surface 34 ofthe sealing door 33 is formed so as to satisfy the following expression(2), where θ_(34f) represents an angle of the front part 34 f withrespect to a horizontal plane, and θ_(34r) represents an angle of therear part 34 r with respect to a horizontal plane.

0°≦θ_(34f)<θ_(34r)  (2)

Thus, by putting his/her hand on the rear part 34 r of the upper surface34 when pushing the sealing door 33 open to dispose of a waste materialD, the user can efficiently transmit the pushing force to the sealingdoor 33. Thus, the user can open the sealing door 33 with a smallerforce.

Not that as a modification of the present embodiment, the rear part 34 rof the upper surface 34 may be substantially perpendicular to theadvancing/withdrawing direction S. According to this modification, thepushing force that is applied from the user's hand to the sealing door33 can be applied to the spring 39 without being reduced. Thus, the usercan push the sealing door 33 open with a small force.

In the present embodiment, as described above, the sealing door 33engages with the sealing door receiving portion 35 on the front side ofthe sealing door 33, namely on the lower side of the tilt of the sealingdoor 33, to nip the film 15.

The film 15, which is accommodated in the film accommodating portion 14so as to be able to be pulled out from the waste inlet 16, passesvertically downward through the tubular core 27, and is accommodatedtogether with the waste material D in the lower part 17 of the wasteaccommodating main body 13. Thus, the film 15 is pulled verticallydownward by the weight of the waste material D placed in the film 15 dueto the gravity.

The tubular core 27 is supported in a tilted state so that the frontside of the tubular core 27 is located lower than the rear side thereof.Thus, provided that L₀ represents a diameter of the waste inlet 16, andθ₀ represents a tilt angle of the waste inlet 16 with respect to thehorizontal direction, the film 15 is naturally drawn toward the lowerside of the tilt, namely toward the front side, at least by a distanceL₀ (1−cos θ₀).

The film 15 is nipped by the sealing door 33 and the sealing doorreceiving portion 35 at a position on the lower side of the tilt towhich the film 15 is naturally drawn. This facilitates nipping of thefilm 15 by the sealing mechanism 28, whereby more efficient sealing forblocking passing of odors can be expected.

The operation of opening the waste accommodating main body 13 will bedescribed below.

FIG. 9 is an overall perspective view of a main body lock mechanism 25and a lid lock mechanism 24 of the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is anoverall perspective view of the waste disposal apparatus 11 of thepresent embodiment as viewed obliquely from behind. FIG. 11 is anenlarged side cross section of the main body lock mechanism 25 and thelid lock mechanism 24.

When the waste disposal apparatus 11 is used normally, the upper part 19and the lower part 17 of the waste accommodating main body 13 are closedso that the upper part 19 covers at its lower end a main body opening 17h located at the upper end of the lower part 17. The film attachmentportion 12 is provided in an upper region of the upper part 19 of thewaste accommodating main body 13, and the film accommodating portion 14is attached to the film attachment portion 12.

A main body hinge 31 is provided on the back face of the wasteaccommodating main body 13. The main body hinge 31 is providedsubstantially in the middle of the vertical height of the waste disposalapparatus 11. The upper part 19 of the waste accommodating main body 13is pivotally attached to the lower part 17 thereof by the main bodyhinge 31, and is pivotable about the main body hinge 31 as a fulcrum. Asthe upper part 19 of the waste accommodating main body 13 is pivoted,the main body opening 17 h at the upper end of the lower part 17 is opento the outside.

The main body lock mechanism 25 and a main body unlock mechanism areprovided on the front face of the waste accommodating main body 13. Whenbeing locked, the main body lock mechanism 25 prevents pivoting of theupper part 19 in the state where the upper part 19 covers the lower part17, namely in the state where the upper part 19 closes the lower part17. The main body unlock mechanism is a mechanism for unlocking the mainbody lock mechanism 25.

The main body lock mechanism 25 has a columnar main body push button 21,and a push button receiving hole 32 that is formed as a through hole inthe upper part 19 of the waste accommodating main body 13 in order tolatch and lock the main body push button 21.

The main body push button 21 is formed in the upper end of a verticalflexible pillar portion 21 p. The lower end of the pillar portion 21 pis connected to the upper end of the lower part 17 of the wasteaccommodating main body 13.

The main body push button 21 is a column that protrudes in the outerdiameter direction of pivoting of the upper part 19 of the wasteaccommodating main body 13. A push button outer peripheral edge 21 g,which is an outer peripheral edge of the column, engages with the pushbutton receiving hole 32 formed in the lower end of the upper part 19,thereby preventing pivoting of the upper part 19.

The main body unlock mechanism includes the main body push button 21 asan operation portion for unlocking the main body lock mechanism 25, andan opening operation portion for placing a user's hand thereon to pivotopen the upper part 19 of the waste accommodating main body 13 afterunlocking the main body lock mechanism 25.

The upper part 19 of the waste accommodating main body 13 has a handle22 as the opening operation portion. The handle 22 is provided at thelower end of the front face of the upper part 19, which is located onthe side away from and opposite to the back face of the upper part 19 towhich the main body hinge 31 is attached. The handle 22 is positionednear and below the main body push button 21.

The main body push button 21 is disengaged from the push buttonreceiving hole 32 and the main body lock mechanism 25 is unlocked onlywhile the main body push button 21 is being pressed. If the userreleases the main body push button 21, the pillar portion 21 p isrestored to its original position, and the main body lock mechanism 25is locked again.

When the waste accommodating main body 13 is filled with waste materialsD, the user empties the waste accommodating main body 13 by unlockingthe main body lock mechanism 25 and opening the upper part 19 of thewaste accommodating main body 13.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating the operation of unlockingthe main body lock mechanism 25. As shown in FIG. 12, the user placesfour fingers, namely fingers other than the thumb, of one hand on thehandle 22 from beneath, and at the same time presses with the thumb themain body push button 21 located near and above the handle 22, therebyunlocking the main body lock mechanism 25. The user lifts the handle 22while unlocking the main body lock mechanism 25. Thus, the upper part 19of the waste accommodating main body 13 is pivoted toward the back side,and the waste accommodating main body 13 is opened.

FIG. 13 is a side cross section showing the state where the upper part19 of the waste accommodating main body 13 of the present embodiment hasbeen fully pivoted. When emptying the waste accommodating main body 13that is filled with waste materials D, as shown in FIG. 13, the userfirst fully opens the upper part 19 of the waste accommodating main body13, and cuts the film 15 with a film cutter 38. Then, the user ties aknot to close the cut face of the film 15, and removes the bag of thefilm 15 filled with the waste materials D from the waste accommodatingmain body 13 to throw the bag out. After emptying the wasteaccommodating main body 13, the user places the upper part 19 of thewaste accommodating main body 13 over the lower part 17 thereof. Thus,the push button 21 engages with the push button receiving hole 32, andthe upper part 19 of the waste accommodating main body 13 is lockedagain.

In the waste disposal apparatus 11 of the present embodiment, the mainbody push button 21 is positioned near and above the handle 22 so that,when unlocking the main body lock mechanism 25 to pivot open the upperpart 19 of the waste accommodating main body 13, an adult user can pressthe main body push button 21 with other finger while supporting thehandle 22 with any of the fingers of his/her one hand.

More specifically, the main body push button 21 is positioned on a paththe thumb is ergonomically most likely to follow naturally when the userplaces the other four fingers on the handle 22 from beneath and closeshis/her hand with the four fingers as a fulcrum.

This makes it easier and more comfortable for the user to unlock themain body lock mechanism 25 to pivot open the upper part 19 of the wasteaccommodating main body 13. That is, the user can unlock the main bodylock mechanism 25 with one hand according to his/her movement ofnaturally closing his/her hand.

In order to unlock the main body lock mechanism 25 to open the upperpart 19 of the waste accommodating main body 13, the user needs to pressthe main body push button 21 in the inner diameter direction that issubstantially perpendicular to the pivoting direction of the upper part19, and to lift the handle 22 to pivot the upper part 19.

Since such two operations in different directions are required, it isvery difficult for infants, who have neither an intent to open the upperpart 19 of the waste accommodating main body 13 nor knowledge of how toopen it, to open the upper part 19. This can prevent the infants fromaccidentally opening the upper part 19 of the waste accommodating mainbody 13 and being injured by touching the film cutter 38 for cutting thefilm 15.

On the other hand, adults with intent to open the upper part 19 of thewaste accommodating main body 13 can easily unlock the main body lockmechanism 25 and open the upper part 19 of the waste accommodating mainbody 13 with one hand. Thus, the waste disposal apparatus 11 is easy tohandle when throwing out the waste materials D stored in the wasteaccommodating main body 13.

The operation of opening the lid 23 will be described below.

The lid 23 is pivotally attached, at its end on the back side, to theupper end of the upper part 19 of the waste accommodating main body 13by a lid hinge 30, and the lid 23 is pivotable about the lid hinge 30 asa fulcrum. When the lid 23 is pivoted open, the waste inlet 16 is opento the outside as shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, the waste disposal apparatus 11 includes alid lock mechanism 24, and a lid unlock mechanism. When being locked,the lid lock mechanism 24 prevents pivoting of the lid 23 in the statewhere the lid 23 covers the waste inlet 16, namely in the state wherethe lid 23 is closed. The lid unlock mechanism is a mechanism forunlocking the lid lock mechanism 24.

The lid lock mechanism 24 has a lid push button 20, and a lid pushbutton receiving portion 36 provided in the upper part 19 of the wasteaccommodating main body 13. The lid push button 20 is provided in thelower part of the front face of the lid 23. A lid push button hook 20 his formed at the lower end of the lid push button 20. The lid pushbutton hook 20 h moves integrally with the lid push button 20.

The lid push button receiving portion 36 is formed at the upper end ofthe upper part 19 of the waste accommodating main body 13. When the lid23 is in a closed state, the lid push button receiving portion 36engages with the lid push button hook 20 h.

The lid unlock mechanism includes the lid push button 20 as an operationportion for unlocking the lid lock mechanism 24, and an openingoperation portion for placing a user's hand thereon to pivot open thelid 23 after unlocking the lid lock mechanism 24.

As the opening operation portion, the lid 23 has a lid handle 18 on thefront face of the lid 23. The lid handle 18 is positioned near and abovethe lid push button 20.

When inserting a waste material through the waste inlet 16, the userunlocks the lid lock mechanism 24 to open the lid 23. FIG. 14 is aperspective view illustrating the operation of unlocking the lid lockmechanism 24.

When the user places four fingers, namely the fingers other than thethumb, of his/her one hand on the lid handle 18 from above, and pressesthe lid push button 20 by the thumb as shown in FIG. 14, the lid pushbutton 20 together with the lid push button hook 20 h moves in thepressing direction, and the lid push button hook 20 h is disengaged fromthe lid push button receiving portion 36, whereby the lid lock mechanism24 is unlocked. The user lifts the lid handle 18 while pressing the lidpush button 20 with the thumb and unlocking the lid lock mechanism 24.Thus, the lid 23 is pivoted toward the back side, and the waste inlet 16is opened.

After inserting a waste material through the waste inlet 16, the usercloses the lid 23. Thus, the lid push button hook 20 h is restored toits original position, and is engaged again with the lid push buttonreceiving portion 36, whereby the lid lock mechanism 24 is locked.

In the lid lock mechanism 24, the lid push button hook 20 h isdisengaged from the lid push button receiving portion 36 only while thelid push button 20 is being pressed. That is, if the user releases thelid push button 20, the lid lock mechanism 24 is locked again.

Thus, in order to unlock the lid lock mechanism 24 to open the lid 23,it is necessary to press the lid push button 20 in the inner diameterdirection that is substantially perpendicular to the pivoting directionof the lid 23, and to lift the lid handle 18 to pivot the lid 23. Thismakes it very difficult for infants, who have neither an intent to openthe lid 23 nor knowledge of how to open it, to open the lid 23. This canprevent the infants from accidentally opening the lid 23 and puttingtheir hands into the waste disposal apparatus 11.

However, adults with intent to open the lid 23 can easily unlock the lidlock mechanism 24 and open the lid 23 with one hand. Thus, the wastedisposal apparatus 11 is easy to handle when inserting waste materialsthrough the waste inlet 16.

Moreover, according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, theuser can place the four fingers other than the thumb of his/her one handon the lid handle 18 from above, and at the same time press the lid pushbutton 20 located near and below the lid handle 18 with the thumb. Thatis, the operator can unlock the lid lock mechanism 24 according tohis/her movement of naturally closing his/her hand.

More specifically, the lid push button 20 is positioned on a path thethumb is ergonomically most likely to follow naturally when the userplaces the other four fingers on the lid handle 18 from above and closeshis/her hand with the four fingers as a fulcrum. This makes it easierand more comfortable for the user to unlock the lid lock mechanism 24 topivot open the lid 23.

Although the embodiments of the present invention are described abovewith reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited tothe illustrated embodiments. Various modifications and variations can bemade to the illustrated embodiments within a scope that is the same as,or equivalent to the present invention.

The present invention provides waste disposal apparatuses having verysafe lock mechanisms, and can be expected to be widely applied toindustrial products such as, e.g., diaper disposal apparatuses.

What is claimed is:
 1. A waste disposal apparatus, comprising: a wasteaccommodating main body having an upper part and a lower part which areseparably connected together, and having an opening at its upper end; alid connected to said waste accommodating main body so as to be able toopen and close said opening of said waste accommodating main body; asealing mechanism, and a film accommodating portion that accommodates afilm for storing a waste material, which are attached to said upper partof said waste accommodating main body; a lid lock mechanism for lockingsaid lid and said upper part of said waste accommodating main bodytogether in a coupled state; a main body lock mechanism for locking saidupper part and said lower part of said waste accommodating main bodytogether in a coupled state; a lid unlock mechanism in which a directionof an operation of unlocking said lid lock mechanism is different fromthat of an operation of opening said lid; and a main body unlockmechanism in which a direction of an operation of unlocking said mainbody lock mechanism is different from that of an operation of openingsaid upper part of said waste accommodating main body.
 2. The wastedisposal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said lid unlockmechanism and said main body unlock mechanism includes an unlockoperation portion and an opening operation portion within reach offingers of operator's one hand.
 3. The waste disposal apparatusaccording to claim 2, wherein said unlock operation portion is a pushbutton that is pressed by a finger.
 4. The waste disposal apparatusaccording to claim 2, wherein said opening operation portion is a recessor a protrusion which is held by a finger.
 5. The waste disposalapparatus according to claim 1, wherein said lid is pivotally connectedat its one end to said upper part of said waste accommodating main bodyby a hinge, and said lid lock mechanism and said lid unlock mechanismare provided at the other end of said lid, which is located on a sideopposite to said hinge.
 6. The waste disposal apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein said upper part of said waste accommodating main bodyis pivotally connected at its one end to said lower part of said wasteaccommodating main body by a hinge, and said main body lock mechanismand said main body unlock mechanism are provided at the other end ofsaid upper part of said waste accommodating main body, which is locatedon a side opposite to said hinge.
 7. The waste disposal apparatusaccording to claim 6, wherein said hinge that connects said upper partand said lower part of said waste accommodating main body is providedsubstantially in a middle of a vertical height of said waste disposalapparatus.